Poetry (Shi)
Synopsis
Filmed in the African country of Mali, Yeelen (Brightness) was filmed in the Bambara and Fula languages, and is based on a legend told by the Bambara people. The hero is a young boy (Issiaka Kane) whose father (Niamanto Sanogo) is an evil magician. Marked for death by his long-absent papa, the boy bids goodbye to his mother and journeys, while his father tracks him through the Bambara, Fulani, and Dogon lands of West Africa. During his travels, the boy utilizes his own conjuring skills for the benefit of those less fortunate than himself—and, in the process, rescues a king from being deposed.
Yeelen was met with wide critical success and was awarded the Jury Prize at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.
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